New 2013-2014 Catalog is Here!!

This is one of the happiest days of the year in the Stampin' Up! World.  And it might be the only time ever (or maybe just the first time ever) you can order from three catalogs for 12 hours only.  Starting at noon today you can combine orders from the old catalog, the new catalog, and the Spring Catalog.  But at midnight tonight, the Spring Catalog goes away forever.  On Monday, the old catalog goes away forever.  But we get to keep the new catalog for a whole year!

Have I gushed enough about the new catalog yet?  It is spectacularly fabulous.  I don't think my initial wish list has ever been this long before.  I am anxiously waiting for noon to roll around so I can place my own big order.  When it arrives, I may just spread it all on the floor and roll around in it for a while and take it all in.

At the Salt Lake Regional event last month, we had the opportunity to make a card with some of the new products.  Then I brought the card home and put it somewhere super safe.  I finally found it this week and saved it to share with you today:

Colors: Whisper White, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petal, Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive.  Stamps: Remembering Your Birthday.  Big Shot: Deco Labels Framelits Collection, Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  Bunches: Scallop Ribbon Border, Elegant Butterfly, Small Circle from Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  Accessories: 2012-2014 In Color Dahlias, Polka Dot Parade Designer Series Paper, 2012-2014 In Colors Designer Series Paper Stack.

If you already have your new catalog, you might recognize this card.  It is very similar to the one on page 16 of the new catalog.  Notice the new Deco Labels framelits on here as well as the new stamps, Remembering Your Birthday, as well as some old favorites.  The other thing to point out here is the new Designer Series Paper Stacks.  These replace the previous versions with fresh new prints you are sure to love.

So after noon today, click on the shop now button and take advantage of this most magical of Stampin' Up! Days.

Sneak Peek: Simply Stars

As promised, here is another Sneak Peek look at a new stamp set that is in the 2013-2014 Catalog that begins on May 31. 

Colors: Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, Coastal Cabana and Whisper White.  Stamps: Simply Stars and Really Good Greetings.  Accessories: Island Indigo Baker's Twine.

This was a quick and simple card I whipped up last evening in between making dinner and a wedding reception we needed to go to for our neighbor's daughter.  I didn't even use my Big Shot.  *GASP* I have been working on some stepped up cards the past few days so it was nice to get back to a quick and easy card.  Now that I look at it, it could have used some texture. 

Stars are one of my favorite shapes.  Stampin' Up! hasn't had a set devoted to stars in a couple of years so I was thrilled when we received this set at the Salt Lake Regionals. I will let you in on a little secret, the larger star shapes fit the old Star Punch that retired last year (or was it the year before?).  So if you held on to that punch, you will be excited to not have to hand cut those stars. 

Just two weeks until the new catalog goes live.  That also means that there are only 2 weeks to get the retiring products you want.  Don't miss out!  Click over to my online store and get those stamps before they are gone for good!

New Simply Pressed Clay

One of the fun new things coming out in the next catalog is the Simply Pressed Clay and Molds.  I understand that there are other products on the market that are similar but I was not familiar with them so this is the first time I've had a chance to play with it.

The clay is silicon so it is light weight and spongy compared to Play Dough or modeling clay.  It can be died using our Ink Refills so it will match any of our current colors.  Last night, I decided to try it out and make some Coastal Cabana buttons and flowers and this morning I turned the flower into a project:

Colors: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral.  Stamps: Flowering Flourishes and Amazing Family.  Big Shot: Large Scallop Edgelit.  Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay and Molds, Whisper White Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack.

I'm going to send this card to my mom for Mother's Day.  Notice the new and returning colors here on my card: Bermuda Bay (old In Color returning), Coastal Cabana (new In Color) and Calypso Coral (current In Color that is staying with us).  These two stamp sets are also carrying over into the new catalog. 


I'm not suppose to show you pictures of products before the new catalog comes out, so I'll just explain what I did instead of show you.  First I put on a neoprene glove to keep my fingers from getting inky.  (I'm allergic to latex, but for those of you who aren't, that would work too).  Then I added a few drops of the Coastal Cabana Ink Refill and massaged it into the clay.  Next, I pressed it into the mold and put it in the freezer.  The freezer helps the clay firm up makes it easier to remove from the mold. The flower only took about 15 minutes.  I needed to leave the buttons in a little longer to make them easier to remove, closer to 30. When you take them out of the mold, they are still really soft and need to dry for several hours. Overnight worked well and they were ready for me to use this morning.

Today, I've featured something new here on my blog.  On Friday, it's time for a Stampin' Addicts blog hop to celebrate all the fabulous stamp sets that aren't carrying over to the new catalog.  Be sure to check back then.

Mosaic Madness Sneak Peek

As a perk for being a Senior Supervisor, every time a new preorder comes around, I get to purchase a select bundle of products at 40% off.  This time it was select products from the new Quatre Fancy Suite. I finally took some time yesterday to play with it and this is what I made:

Colors: Strawberry Slush, Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Really Good Greetings.  Big Shot: Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Windows Collection Framelits. Punch: 2-1/2" Circle Punch.  Accessories: Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper, Rhinestone Jewels, Festive Paper Piercing Template, Versamark. 

To make this card, first I took a piece of Island Indigo Card Stock and ran it through the Big Shot with the new Mosaic Madness Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  But I wanted to add a little more depth to the paper so I grabbed my Versamark Stamp Pad and rubbed it over the top of the texture to make it pop out more.   Then I went back with the Mosaic Madness stamp set and stamped in the "middle" (well almost he middle in some cases) of the larger openings. 

There is a coordinating punch that goes with this suite, but I was a little disappointed that it doesn't fit inside the embossing folder impressions.  But it is still nice to have a suite of products that beautifully coordinate together.  It has to be my favorite thing about Stampin' Up!

I also used a new greeting set called Really Good Greetings here.  It's a great set with lots of fun greetings, some of them a little more sassy than this one.  But I love this sentiment because it is something I truly believe: everything will be OK even if we can't see what OK is yet.

Finally, the card needed some embellishments so I added the rhinestones.  I wanted to use a button or something but I didn't have any new ones and I haven't had time to play with the new clay that is coming out soon and make one to match.  Hopefully next week.  That will give you something to anticipate.

New 2013-2015 In Colors!

One of the perks of going to the Salt Lake Regionals was a chance to actually purchase a few sneak peeks from the upcoming catalog.  We were embargoed from sharing any pictures or information until April 24 when the catalog is made available to all demonstrators.  But that day is here so I can share!

One of the things I always look forward to is the new In Colors.  When word started trickling out a few weeks ago what they would be, I was not surprised.  I have been doing some clothes shopping lately and these new colors are definitely right on trend with what is in the stores right now.

I also appreciated fellow demonstrators who posted color comparisons on their blogs in the past.  This year, since I have the product in hand already, I get to share those with you.  I tried to pick 2-3 colors that Stampin' Up! enthusiasts would already know and then pair them up with the new colors so you can get an idea what they really look like.  Keep in mind, I did the best I could editing the pictures to the true tone, but computer monitors vary.  I hope this gives you an idea at least until you can get your hands on your own.  I have written the names of the colors underneath each of the punchie and the base color in the photos (behind the white) is the new in color too.  Click on any of the pictures to see them bigger.

The first is Baked Brown Sugar (middle).  It is the perfect blend of Soft Suede (left) and Crumb Cake (right).  And doesn't the name just sound yummy?  I also think this will be good for coloring ethnic skin tones.  Because we all know not everyone (including a couple of cuties at my house) are not Blush Blossom.

Next is Coastal Cabana (third from the left) .  If Stampin' Up! had a signature color this year, Coastal Cabana would be it.  It is featured heavily in the new catalog and on the convention literature.  I first saw it described as a darker Pool Party (far right).  But I think it is closer to a lighter version of Bermuda Bay (second from the left). It is a lot more green than Tempting Turquoise (far left).  Coincidentally, I have already bought a couple of shirts in this color this spring.

Crisp Cantaloupe is a great name for the next color (third from left).  I should have included Groovy Guava on this page but I would have had to dig pretty hard to find that old color in my stamp room.  If you liked that color, you will love this one too.  The recent color that it is closest is Peach Parfait (second from the left).  It is just a little lighter and a little more pink or coral than that it. It is a great companion color to Calypso Coral (far left).  I added Apricot Appeal (far right) to the chart even though it isn't all that close just so you can see how coral it really is.

Pistachio Pudding (far right) might just be my favorite of the bunch this year.  It isn't really all that close to anything Stampin' Up! has had before but I am showing it with (left to right) Sage Shadow, Certainly Celery and Gable Green.  Pistachio Pudding is very close to the color I painted my bedroom walls several years ago (and I liked it so much then, when we moved we painted our bedroom in our new house the exact same color).

And let's not forget Strawberry Slush (third from the left).  I am not a big fan of pinks in general, (I think I've mentioned that before).  But I don't *hate* this one (and that is high praise for a pink).  It is a lighter version of Melon Mambo (far left).  I originally heard this was close to Primrose Petals (second from the left), but as you can tell from the photo, it's much brighter and not as brown.  I threw in Regal Rose (far right) for a comparison as well.


I did not end up with the ink pads the other day, just the paper so when I started trying to make samples with them, it was a little like a limited supply challenge.  Now I remember what it is like not to have every color of ink at your disposal. I managed to make two cards:

Colors: Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe and Whisper White.  Stamps: Mixed Bunch.  Punch: Blossom.  Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Large Rhinestone Jewels, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon.

The only thing new on this card is the colors.  Adriana Benitez from Escape2Stamp featured a card a week or so ago with white embossing powder on a pastel color and and I just loved it.  Very fresh looking. I just kept this simple since I didn't have a lot to work with. :)

Colors: Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Smoky Gray and Basic Black.  Stamps: Label Love, Mixed Bunch.  Big Shot: Chevron and Stripes Textured Embossing Folders, and Tasteful Trim Bigz XL.  Punches: Modern Label, Artisan Label, and Itty Bitty Punch Pack.  Accessories: Rhinestone Jewels.

 Notice the new stamp set, Label Love, that matches the new Artisan Label punch. It has other fun greetings in it as well.  Perfect for wedding, birthdays, babies, etc.  And when you bundle it with the punch, you can save a little $$ too. Always nice.  And I threw in the other brand new color: Smoky Slate.  Love this gray.  And of course, I made a little chart for it too:

Featured on the chart (from left to right) are Basic Gray, the old Going Gray and Smoky Slate.  Smoky Slate is close to the old Going Gray but a pinch smokier (hence the name).

I hope you have enjoyed this look at the new colors.  I know this was a long blog post and if you've hung with me this long today, you probably deserve some kind of medal.   I will be back to post a little later today with the retirement list information. 

Who doesn't like a little Spring Surprise?

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Stampin' Up! is announcing new thing every week these days and today they revealed yet another fun Spring Surprise.  Now through May 30, you can purchase a sneak peek set from the new 2013-2014 Catalog before the catalog is released.  It's called A Round Array and it coordinates perfectly with the 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch.

And not only does it coordinate perfectly, right now you can purchase the stamp set and the punch together and save 15%!  Here is the flyer with all the details:

I can't wait to get my hands on this cute stamp set.  One of the things I just love about Stampin' Up! is everything coordinates so perfectly together and this is just another great example of that.